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Our expert guides assured us the 4x4 just seems like a moving bush to the animals - and that attacks on tourists are unheard of.

Located in the famous Maasai Mara National Reserve, we flew to the conservancy on a 12-seater aircraft and, within 24 hours of arriving, we’d spotted elephants, zebra, giraffe and hippos as well as the aforementioned lions and wildebeest.

Craig enjoyed glamping at the Porini Cheetah Camp which with en suite bathrooms and hot showers in each tent

Less recognisable specimens were Defassa Waterbuck (a large antelope), Kirk’s Dik Dik (a small antelope) and a Bush Hyrax (a small tree-dwelling mammal).

However obscure, we knew exactly what we were looking at thanks to our guides, Jacob and Nelson - genuine Maasai tribesmen who could identify a bird or animal species before we’d even spotted it.

Hippos are on the move as Craig enjoys the stunning wildlife in Kenya

The job of guide is a prestigious one and each spends a year in full-time education, often sponsored by a tourism or ecology group, preparing for it.

As evening fell on the Mara, we were treated to a sundowner - nibbles with a beer, G&T or glass of wine - while watching the sun set on the beautiful landscape.

We stayed at Porini Cheetah Camp which only took its first guests in June. And don’t let the term “camp” suggest rusty cooking stoves and dodgy sanitation.

Craig watches as an elephant charges past in the Kenyan savanna

This is extremely comfortable accommodation - glamping, you could say - with proper en suite bathrooms and hot showers in each tent.

Dinner after a hard day’s big-game spotting is hosted by the directors, the gregarious and engaging couple Nirmalya and Jui Banerjee.

Passionate wildlife fans, they gave up their jobs to open the camp in the Kenyan bush and enjoy passing on their expertise to guests.

Nirmalya formerly worked in telecoms - and knows people don’t like to be without their internet connection nowadays, even in the Kenyan bush.

He, therefore, arranged the construction of a small transmitter - carefully disguised among trees near the camp - to enable guests access to wi-fi in this most remote of locations.

Food at the camp is delicious, featuring touches such as bread baked in a charcoal oven - and a little bottle of HP sauce on the table to give safari-goers a reminder of home.

Craig stayed in the luxury thatched huts at Rusinga Island Lodge on the shore of Lake Victoria

We also flew north to experience a different side to Kenya and stayed in luxury thatched huts at Rusinga Island Lodge on the shore of Lake Victoria.

The temperatures are hot but not unbearably so and visitors can kayak or fish in the lake or maybe just go for a swim or massage at the resort’s spa and outdoor pool.

This is a country which is going places and the tourism board have even come up with a new slogan - Magical Kenya - to try to symbolise this special place.

A new 300-mile railway has just opened linking the capital Nairobi with the Indian Ocean seaport of Mombasa, the country’s second city, and slashing rail journey times between the two cities from 12 hours to just over four hours.

The railway, the country’s largest infrastructure project since the independent Republic of Kenya was established in 1964, was paid for by the Chinese government and opened last year, 18 months ahead of schedule.

Fort Jesus was built between 1593 and 1596 by order of King Philip I of Portugal to guard Mombasa and was named a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2011

We took a one-hour flight east from Nairobi to Mombasa where we stayed at the upmarket Severin Sea Lodge .

Amid the beautiful accommodation and ocean-front location, a beer (go for the local favourite Tusker) cost 350 Shillings (about £2.60) and a glass of white wine was 450 Shillings (about £3.30).

A visit to the city’s superbly-preserved famous Fort Jesus, a World Heritage site, is a must - and offers a fascinating insight into the areas history and dramatic views over the ocean.

Designed to protect the old port of Mombasa, it was built in the 1590s and weaponry added over subsequent centuries included heavy cannon from Scotland’s Carron Company ironworks which are still present and in fine condition today.

Indeed, Kenya has much in common with the UK, whose colonial rule came to an end just over 50 years ago.

Cars drive on the left, plug sockets are the same in both countries and, despite being thousands of miles away, Kenya is only two hours ahead of UK-time cutting down on jet lag and allowing visitors to get the most out of their days here.

The animals are, of course, the country’s star attraction and, with a little luck, you should be able to see the big five - buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion and rhinoceros.

Our close encounter with a marauding lion was memorable and, for the record, the wildebeest it had its sights got away on this occasion.

The Kenyan coastline is idyllic and it is on your doorstep at the Severin Sea Lodge(Image: Charlie Grieves-Cook)

It rejoined a herd which took an unexpected turn away from the lions and, in doing so, secured its survival - for another day at least.

Observing this all from yards away was a once or twice in a lifetime experience and a true highlight of our time in this most magical of countries.